Kristen Maynard, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

About Kristen

About Kristen

About Kristen

Kristen Maynard, Ph.D., joined the Lieber Institute in the summer of 2012 as a postdoctoral fellow in the Brain Development division. Her research uses molecular and cellular biology in combination with behavioral techniques to investigate signaling events governing neuronal development and synaptic plasticity. In particular, she is studying how changes in the transcriptional regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), an activity-regulated gene important for neuroplasticity, impact dendrite morphology, synaptic function, and behavior. Dr. Maynard earned her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from Bowdoin College in 2006 and her PhD in Neuroscience from Yale University in 2012. Her dissertation work in the Yale Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying dendrite arborization and spine formation in the developing cerebral cortex. Dr. Maynard received specialized training in translational research through the Yale Medical Research Scholars Program, and she continues to pursue questions at the interface of basic biology and human disease at the Lieber Institute.